1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to engaging persons with memory loss and, more particularly, to a game adapted to provide therapy for persons suffering from memory loss.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that many persons suffer increasing loss of memory with advanced age due to a variety of factors. However, memory loss is limited not only to the elderly, as victims of head injuries, strokes and other illnesses also can suffer memory loss. Memory loss often is frustrating for these individuals, and can lead to a reduction in quality of life and additional health problems. While significant advances in therapy and treatment have been made in recent years, it remains difficult to reverse memory loss, especially memory loss due to advanced age. Many people with memory loss require care in long-term care, assisted living and adult day-care facilities. Activities staff and/or family members try to provide cognitive stimulation through a variety of techniques, such as playing games, making crafts, and providing entertainment, but such efforts often are not effective.
It is believed that the activities with the most therapeutic benefit are those that actively engage the mind, such as solving problems or answering questions, rather than those that passively engage the mind, such as watching television. It further is believed that an environment involving a number of people instead of a solitary environment also is therapeutic. Games that provide mental stimulation and mental engagement, and which provide opportunities for a number of people to interact, are best for persons having memory impairment. While games directed specifically to memory-impaired persons are known, such games have a number of drawbacks.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,577 discloses a diagnostic memory skill game that is played by students together with a teacher. The game is played on a game board having player areas. One of the player areas is occupied by the teacher, who plays the game with the students. Individual question cards are read one at a time to each of the players by the teacher. If the question is answered correctly, the question card is placed in a “mastered” area. If the question is answered incorrectly, the question card is placed in a “recycling” area. The object of the game is for each player to respond correctly to each question so that all of the player's question cards are placed in the mastered area before the teacher's question cards are placed likewise. The student players are motivated by competition with the teacher, while the teacher has an opportunity to diagnose student memory skill deficiencies.
Although the competition engendered by the game according to the '577 patent might be desirable in a student-teacher learning environment, it is extremely undesirable for persons who suffer from memory loss. Moreover, the game presumes that the teacher will be as challenged by the questions as the students. Such a situation would be wholly inappropriate for a game played by persons suffering from memory deficiencies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,077 discloses a non-competitive memory enhancement game. The game according to the '077 patent is played with the assistance of family members, friends, and/or volunteers who coordinate play. The game has a question and answer format that is similar to flash-card games. Questions may relate to general knowledge or may be personalized. Personalized questions are developed by family, friends, and others using the player's personal memorabilia. The questions are provided in the form of a photograph or other pictorial image on one side of a card, and questions and/or comments relating to the picture on the opposite side. A game board has a playing path that is divided into positions identified by subject matter categories. Questions related to a given subject matter are asked based on the player's position on the board. Since the game is not competitive, there is no final goal or winning position on the board. The object of the game is to share memories and to receive a reward after participating for a predetermined period of time or number of plays.
While the game according to the '077 patent is desirable in the sense that it is non-competitive, it may not be enjoyed by certain participants due to the personalized nature of some of the questions. In other words, some participants may not want personal information to be shared in a public environment or they may not want to be informed of others' personal information. In addition, the nature of the board requires the participants to sit together around a table. Such an arrangement of the participants relative to each other may be undesirable in certain circumstances. In addition, the use of a game board limits the number of participants to those who can fit around the board. Yet additionally, the game has the potential to be boring because there is no inherent object to be accomplished.
In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, there remains a need for an effective and enjoyable memory engagement game. Any such game desirably would be non-competitive or largely non-competitive, could be played by individuals or a group of players, would permit players to be arranged in any desired position relative to each other, and would not involve the disclosure of personal information. Any such game desirably could be played by persons of different cognitive levels. Perhaps most importantly, the game would be interesting and entertaining to play and would have an inherent object to be accomplished.